Multiple head drilling apparatus



March 24, 1970 E. K. HALEY MULTIPLE HEAD DRILLING APPARATUS 8 Sheets-Shet 1 Filed May 31, 1968 INVENT OR v fifi/EFT K #Q/fy mesandsemmes ATTORNEYS March 24, 1970 E. K. HALEY 3,501,982

MULTIPLE HEAD DRILLING APPARATUS Filed May 31, 1968 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 AZST/ZAW/i) BY mesandsemmes ATTORNEYS March 24, 1970 E. K. HALEY 3,501,932

MULTIPLE HEAD DRILLING APPARATUS Filed May 51, 1968 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 I 5 w H 5 ":i /f/ I i 1/ 1 1 I I I 1 J1; I l1 I o t I T J 1 l 5 I l W i & F: 1 W h \l l MM M M W M M INVENTOR H6 6 [FAQ-57K 4415 BY semmesandsemmes ATTORNEYS March 1970 E. K. HALEY 3,501,982

MULTIPLE HEAD DRILLING APPARATUS Filed May 31, 1968 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR [m r K. #915) BY semmesandsemmes ATTORNEYS March 24, 1970 E. K. HALEY 35 L MULTIPLE HEAD DRILLING APPARATUS Filed May 31, 1968 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 vii INVENTOR [PM-5r 4 #v/zy BY semmesandsemmes ATTORNEYS March 24, 1970 E. K. HALEY MULTIPLE HEAD DRILLING APPARATUS 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed May 31, 1968 INVENTOR flaws/x4 ,wzfy

BY semmesandsemmes ATTORNEYS March 24, 1970 E. K. HALEY 3,501,982

MULTIPLE HEAD DRILLING APPARATUS Filed May 31, 1968 8 Sheets-Sheet '7 T INVENTOR 75 20 12%? K A/A/' BY semmesandsemmes ATTORNEYS E. K. HALEY MULTIPLE HEAD DRILLING APPARATUS March 24, 1970 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed May 31, 1968 BY semmesandsemmes ATTORNEY Ilnited States Fatent O 3,501,982 MULTIPLE HEAD DRILLING APPARATUS Ernest K. Haley, 134 Northwestern Parkway, Louisville, Ky. 40212 Filed May 31, 1968, Ser. No. 733,657 Int. Cl. B23b 39/18 US. Cl. 7724 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A multiple head drilling apparatus of the type used in drilling a plurality of holes through a workpiece such as a steel beam and including a plurality of drilling chucks which are movable with respect to each other so as to vary the distances between holes being drilled.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention In steel fabrication a contemporary problem is the drilling of rivet holes in steel, I-beams, columns and the like. Conventionally, the holes are first chalk marked, tapped or punched and then individually hand drilled. This is an extremely time consuming and costly process with labor costs currently at $5.00 to $8.00 per hour. Since the holes are measured and drilled manually without especial drill supporting devices, the incidence of error in hole placement is the rule rather than the exception.

Several elaborate multiple drilling head devices have been devised for handling I-beams. However, the gigantic size of these devices and their complex drill bit adjusting mechanisms require investment in the amounts of hundreds of thousands of dollars per multiple head installation.

Description of the prior art Prior art multiple head drilling devices suggest means for laterally adjusting a plurality of drilling chucks. Conventionally, these chucks are adjusted individually, manu-al-ly by means of slotted dies, individual slip joints being employed intermediate the drive mechanism and the chucks. A principal shortcoming of these devices is their inability of supporting the chucks longitudinally during drilling or providing a positive drive which can economically withstand maximum wear.

Nutting (734,082) is the earliest concept of a multiple drill head having both vertical and lateral adjusting features. Note that Nut-ting employs a threaded cross rail as the adjusting mechanism. Fox (1,058,045) and Gesko (3,290,966) employ slip joints, substantially as proposed by applicant. Scott (1,097,678) imparts radial adjustability of the joints with respect to a common center. Gwyer (1,340,953) on the other hand provides circumferential adjustability by means of arcuate, rather than radially extending, slots. Brainard (3,124,017) employs conventional slotted support arms 3645 for imparting adjustability of the drilling head.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to applicants invention the drive mechanism and chucks are supported within a vertically reciprocable carriage. The chucks are encased for lateral movement within a chuck block guide, which, in turn, is dovetailed within the carriage. As a result of the dovetailing, the chucks are firmly supported longitudinally fore and aft. Also, a positive threaded drive engages the individual chucks so as to adjust them laterally while locking the chucks in place during the drilling action. As a result, there is positive longitudinal and transverse support of the chucks during drilling. A pair of drilling head carriages each having a plurality of transversely aligned ice bits may be movably supported with respect to each other. As a result, there is provided both longitudinal and transverse adjustment of the drilling bits.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a drilling head carriage vertically movably supported within the frame so as to suspend a plurality of drilling bits above an I-beam;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of a single drilling head carriage device;

FIG. 4 is a modification showing a pair of drilling head carriages longitudinally adjustable with respect to each other;

FIG. 5 is a top plan, partially fragmentary, of the chuck drive mechanism;

FIG. 6 is a side elevation of the chuck drive mechanism showing the universal joints intermediate the drive sprockets and the individual chucks 84;

FIG. 7 is a vertical sectional vie-w taken along section line 7-7 of FIG. 5 showing the operative connection between the motor drive shaft and the jack shafts;

FIG. 8 is a vertical sectional view taken along section line 88 of FIG. 5 and showing the interconnection of the chuck drive sprockets;

FIG. 9 is a side elevation partially in section, showing the relationship between the jack shaft pulley and the motor drive shafts;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary sectional view of the interconnection between jack shaft pulley 118 and the drive sprocket 138;

FIG. 11 is a like fragmentary section showing the relationship between jack shaft pulley 114 and sprocket 126;

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary front elevation, partially in section, of the FIG. 13 modification;

FIG. 13 is an enlarged section of a modified drive arrangement wherein a single splined shaft is used to engage a plurality of bevel gears each attached to the individual chucks;

FIG. 14 is a sectional view, taken along section line 14-14 of FIG. 12, showing the worm gear and bevel gear engagement;

FIG. 15 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view, showing the individual lateral guide adjusting rods threadedly engaging the chucks 192 and 194;

FIG. 16 is an end elevation showing the drive mechanism for the lateral adjusting rods;

FIG. 17 is a vertical sectional view, taken along section line 17-47 of FIG. 16 and showing rod 176 threadedly engaging chuck L7 4;

FIG. 18 is a schematic view showing the engagement of the three lateral adjusting rods with the six individual chucks;

FIG. 19 is a side elevation of an emplacement of the frame and carriage within a longitudinal superstructure, having upper and lower tracks and permitting a movement of the entire frame above a girder beam drilled;

FIG. 20 is an end elevation, partially in section taken along section line 20-40, of FIG. 19;

FIG. 21 is a side elevation of the dual drilling head arrangement wherein the carriages are longitudinally adjustably positionable with respect to each other; and

FIG. 22 is a top plan thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In FIG. 1 a multiple head drilling apparatus is illustrated as generally comprising top frame 30 having intermediate struts 32 and 34 and suspended above bottom frame 36 by means of vertical channels or legs, 38, 40, 42 and 44. A drill head carriage 46 is vertically movably suspended upon posts 56, 58, 60 and 62 by means of 3 peripheral collars 48, 50, 52 and 54. An individual I- beam of like steel workpiece 64 is shown in FIG. 1 as being supported in the bottom frame 36 by means of lateral pressurizing elements 94, holes 90 having been drilled by bits 82, supported in chucks 84.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the lateral pressurizing elements include front pressurizing channel 94 and rear pressurizing channel 92 mounted respectively upon threaded rods 102 and 100 by means of interiorally threaded collars 98 and 96. By turning hand cranks 106 and 104 the channels 94 and 92 may be pressed against the workpiece 64 so as to secure it laterally during drilling.

In FIGS. 2 and 3 the mechanism for lifting individual carriage 46 is illustrated as comprising hydraulic piston assembly 70 mounted upon top frame 30 and having piston rods 72 extending through and secured by bolt 80 to top plate 74 which is secured to carriage 46 by I-beam elements 76 and 78. As piston 72 is reciprocated carriage 46 is raised and lowered upon posts 56, 58, 60 and 62. The hydraulic assembly may be timed so as to urge the drills rapidly downwardly until they reach within an inch of the workpiece 64, then a manual drive may take over advancing the carriage in accordance with drilling speed.

In FIG. 4 there is illustrated the twin carriage concept wherein twin carriages 46 are mounted so as to be longitudinally adjustable with respect to each other. This concept is further illustrated in FIGS. 21 and 22. Each carriage 46 includes blocks 218 and 220 through which threaded bolts 222 and 224 extend. By rotation of hand wheel 226 which is connected to companion threaded bolt 224 by means of pulley 228 and chain 230, block 220 is longitudinally actuated with respect to block 218.

The individual motor drive assembly is illustrated in FIGS. -11 as comprising drive motor 154, having drive shaft 108 extending upwardly to engage drive pulley or sprocket 122. Laterally disposed jack shafts 110 and 112 support chain pulleys 114 and 118 which are operatively connected, respectively, via chains 116 and 120 to drive sprocket 122. Pulley 114 in turn by means of chain 124 is connected to driving sprocket 128. Pulley 118 is connected to driving sprocket 138 by means of chain 126. Driving sprockets 128 and 130 are connected by means of chain 140 and sprockets 130 and 132 are connected by means of chain 142.

Sprockets 138 and 136 are connected by means of chain 144 and sprockets 136 and 134 are connected by means of chain 146. Thus, as motor drive shaft 108 rotates, the individual drive sprockets cause rotation of chucks 84 via universal joint means 152. The drive sprockets and pulleys may be mounted intermediate plates 148 and 150. The chuck guide is particularly illustrated in FIGS. 9 and l517 and includes a chuck guide block dovetailed as at 196 and 198 respectively in rear plate 158 and front plate 156. As a result of this dovetailing the individual chucks 184, 186, 180, 190, 192, 194 are laterally movable within the channel between plates 156 and 158 and upon the chuck adjusting rods 176, 178 and 180 while being supported against longitudinal movement by the plates 156 and 158. The individual adjusting rods 176, 178 and 180 include, as illustrated in FIGS. and 18, respectively a right hand thread engaging chuck 194, and a left hand thread engaging chuck 192. Also, as illustrated in FIG. 18, a right hand thread would be engaging chuck 190. Chucks 184, 186 and 188 would be conversely threaded left, right and left so that upon rotation of the rods opposed lateral movement of the two chucks upon the rod would be achieved.

As illustrated in FIG. 18, the threaded rod lateral adjustment drive mechanism includes drive motor 166 having shaft 164 which is connected to drive pulley 170 mounted upon shaft 176 which also supports drive sprocket 182. Rod 178 has attached driven sprocket 172 meshing with sprocket 182 and, in turn, shaft 180 has attached driven sprocket 174 engaging sprocket 172. Consequently, rota- 4 tion of shaft 164 induces rotation of the shafts 176, 178 and 180, thus moving the six chucks laterally with respect to each other.

In FIGS. 12, 13 and 14 there is illustrated a modified chuck drive mechanism including a splined shaft 200 having a plurality of worm gear elements 201 engaging corresponding worm gears 202 encircling each of the chucks. As shaft 200 is rotated by means of pulley the individual chucks 84 are laterally displaced with respect to each other.

In FIGS. 19 and 20 there is illustrated the refinement of invention wherein the entire frame assembly is mounted between longitudinal superstructure upper tracks 206 and lower tracks 208. Bottom rollers 210 may support workpiece 64. Lateral workpiece pressurizing means include hand wheels 212 interconnected by chain 204 and operatively connected to lateral adjusting plates 230 and 232.

As will be apparent, the present apparatus may be economically constructed to include a plurality of limit switch or photo-electric elements activating the carraige reciprocating, as well as the drill lateral adjustment mechanisms. Various types of these reciprotating and adjusting mechanisms may be employed without departing from the spirit of invention, as defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. A multiple head drilling apparatus comprising:

(A) a frame;

(B) a drilling head carriage vertically movably suspended in said frame;

(C) a chuck guide block dovetailed within said carriage and including:

(i) a chuck lateral movement channel;

(ii) a plurality of threaded chuck lateral adjustment rods engaging a plurality of chucks supported in said channel; and

(iii) chuck lateral adjusting drive means rotatably engaging said chuck rods;

(D) da plurality of drill bits supported in said chucks;

(E) drive means supported on said carriage and engaging said chucks.

2. A multiple head drilling apparatus as in claim 1, said guide block being dovetailed longitudinally fore and aft Within said carriage, so as to inhibit longitudinal movement of said chuck during lateral adjustment of said chucks and during drilling by said bits.

3. A multiple head drilling apparatus as in claim 2, said drive means including:

(i) a drive motor and shaft;

(ii) a plurality of jack shafts;

(iii) a drive sprocket and universal extension joint for each said chuck; and

(iv) chain means interconnecting said motor shaft, said jack shafts and said drive sprockets so as to rotate said drills.

4. A multiple head drilling apparatus as in claim 3, said chuck lateral adjusting drive means including a plurality of threaded rods supported in said chuck guide block and extending transversely through said chucks, each rod being threaded to engage complementary threads within said chucks, rotation of said rods effecting lateral movement of said chucks within said chuck lateral movement channel.

5. A multiple head drilling apparatus as in claim 2, said drive means including:

(A) a transverse spindle rod supported in said chuck guide blocks and engaging a plurality of worm gears mounted upon each said chuck.

6. A multiple head drilling apparatus as in claim 4, including dual drilling head carriages each supporting a transversely aligned plurality of drilling bits and each said carriage being adjustable longitudinally towards and away from each other within said frame so as to vary the longitudinal distance between aligned bits.

7. A multiple head drilling apparatus as in claim 4, said drilling head carriage being suspended upon a plurality of vertical posts supported Within said frame and being attached to a reciprocating piston mounted upon said frame, so as to lift said carriage vertically upon said posts.

8. A multiple head drilling apparatus as in claim 5, said chuck guide block supporting said chucks substantially throughout their vertical extremities.

9. A multiple head drilling apparatus as in claim 7, including a workpiece support guide mounted in the bottom of said frame and being compressible against a workpiece being drilled.

10. A multiple head drilling apparatus as in claim 8, including a longitudinal superstructure having a roller bed and slidably supporting said frame in upper and lower tracks above said roller bed.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 

